It seems this is the new fault line between Northern and Southern Ethiopians. Oromo will have to wake up and smell the coffee, their so called alliance with Amhara’s is dead end and also Amhara’s will need to change their relations with Tigray as they can fight on two fronts.

Gedo, Hiiraan, Banadir and SSC, are these the contenders to become recognized states?

Shacabka make more sense then most politicians.

You don’t think he will get sub-clan protection of sorts.

The fate of SSC and Somaliland region and people ia inseparable interconnected and intertwined with one another. And at the same time no amount of violence, guns and casualties can enforce it nor prevent the connectedness, the sooner everyone realizes that the easier it will be to embark on a common path.

Well done to keep the political leadership limited, this should make them more targeted, effective and efficient. Compare this with Hirshabelle’s 81 cabinet members whose authority, legitimacy and reach is non-existent. Hirshabelle President appoints 81-member cabinet after two years in office WWW.HIIRAAN.COM Jowhar (HOL) - President of Hirshabelle regional state, Ali Abdullahi Hussein Guudlawe, has appointed a cabinet for the first time after being...

This is the second time I heard the SSC leader speak and must say I am quite impressed, he eloquently explains for all to hear what has fueled the uprising and conflict, and what has been the political gain of this conflict. He is already more of a statesman then many others Somali politicians who have been longer in the limelight. Nevertheless, he has quite a task ahead of him.

Governments negotiate on treatment and release of POW, instead Somaliland government showed they really don’t care what happens with the 300+ soldiers held captive. This official even stating that they don’t care if those soldiers get killed, ‘ha laayaan ciidankaa’. subxannalah

Is this true, or just speculation? What does it mean for the politics of Somali region?

On the issue of national sovereignty, we have to ask our selves do we want sovereignty to be shared by the region and the centre? And I am no legal expert, but understand that sovereignty is defined as the supreme or dominant power of authority and whose characteristics can be described by permanence, exclusiveness, all-comprehensiveness, inalienability, indivisibility, and absoluteness, and has as different sub-types, titular(in name only), internal(obedience from all that are within), external(recognition on the part of states), and legal (highest legal power). Does it make sense from a practical perspective and also a principle perspective, if it makes sense for sovereignty to be shared by federal states and central government, and what would it mean for ultimate power to be shared by politicians from the centre and states. If this would make sense, and why one would want that? My personal thinking is that it would not lead to better balanced governance or checked power, but might lead to further muddied political landscape. And perhaps the ultimate de facto sovereignty of power lies with the traditional leaders, that have already a quite an informal and positive power over their constituencies but who are not given any formal role in the structure state, while on the hand ‘clan’ finds itself a role in the other bodies of the state through the 4.5 Parliament and clan based federal states, while clan shouldn’t belong there. So why not establish a House of traditional elders, that shares the titular, internal and legal sovereignty with the central state executive, and that way balances positively and formally the supreme authority, and has a formal role in peace making and reconciliation, and that way diffuses the pressure for clan representation in Parliament and the need to form clan based states. Let the formal traditional leaders be the formal clan representatives and share/balance sovereignty. And this House of Elders would have a formal role in matters of clans, and play a role in the peace and reconciliation between communities and channeling the need for clan representation. The African countries that have given a formal role in the state to traditional elders are some of the most stable, peaceful and cohesive developed countries. Botswana comes to mind as a very positive example, and others like Uganda, South-Africa, with the recently deceased King Butulesi and whose traditional leaders play formal and positive role in the state. In everything is clan and clan finds its way in everything deconstructing and making basic governance and service delivery challenging, why not give clan a formal role, through its formal leaders and give a seat and formal job description, and that way one can deterge it from the other bodies of the state. So that a Minister, MP, Regional State or local authority can focus on their real roles without feeling the need or necessity to represent the ‘clan’, as its channeled through the House of traditional elders. Lastly, we have recently seen how permanence, important and comprehensive the role of traditional leaders in solving the most complex societal conflicts and disputes, which has been nearly impossible for politicians to play that role and solve those issues. Look at the recent important role Garaads have played in uniting the SSC folks, the Suldaans from Somaliland have diffused the tension and simmering political deadlock, the Isims and Boqor in Puntland prevented an almost internal civil war. If indeed their role, authority and power is that strong over people, and despite decades of undermining their role and status in the formal affairs state, their status is permanent, why not make them a formal part of the structures and formalise their collective roles, responsibilities and mandates in membership of a collective decision making body or House?

It’s a simple choice actually that SL leaders have to make. A) if the SL leaders really belief in a inclusive Somaliland with the SSC community being an integral part of Somaliland, they will choose peace talks and every road that can lead to them rapprochement , reconciliation and rectification (three Rs). And they will welcome and embrace SSCs political leadership and its traditional clan leadership, as a legitimate counterpart as they are united in their voice and political aspirations. And believing in a shared destiny between the people of Somaliland or Northern regions, they belief that’s is only a matter of time to find common grounds for understanding through dialogue. Much of the criticism towards the SSC leaders over the past decades was that they were politically divided and did not have a unified political platform and leadership and fragmentation was preventing seriously engagement and addressing the political wishes of SSC community. And today the politically unity of the SSC community who have formed a unified political platform and leadership, and whose 14 Garaads have united under the same political umbrella provides an opportunity to engage with, dialogue with and seek common ground with a legitimate counterpart. B) But if one doesn’t believe in a inclusive Somaliland and shared ownership of Somaliland based on the colonial borders with all its communities being part of it or aspiring to become part of it, and they see it as a singular clan owned and dominated project, whose narrative fully aligns with that of the SNM clan ideology that thinks it can subjugate other clan and political groups by using the incomes and control of the Berbera Port as a power leverage, then SL leaders might choose continued war with SSC, other clans and those whose who have other political thoughts. And this will lead to further internal crumpling of Somaliland and division that has started with the SSC folks uprising and Las Anod conflict but will continue throughout other regions with further uprisings and more people rejecting this Somaliland, and more clan based regions and communities deciding on self governance and forming alternative ‘states’z I think it’s those two choices that SL leadership has, and these two choices are inherent directly linked to the future of Somaliland, its viability, stability and social coherence. SL leaders needs to look at things from this dialectic perspective, thinking and decision making that consist of opposed or contradictory ideas, in order to examine, consider alternatives and find the truth. Without considering this dialectic thinking and opposing ideas, many would and already tend to see things from the singular truth and pathways professed within the ingroup members and will overlook better and more promising solutions and alternatives than the currently chosen and professed one, which is currently the trend.

Noocaas cadiifiinta ayaa umadii meel kasta u taliniya, ama beel ha u taliyo ama madaxtooyo ha dhex fadhiisto, wa isla cadifiinti qori ku taaga xalka u heysatay.

I think we need to distinguish devolution from sovereignty. We all agree that one needs to have a devolved system and for regions to have the means, power and mandates to arrange and provide services on local level and to have descision making also on that level. However do we want sovereignty to be shared between the centre and the regions, and for the regions to have a ‘veto’ in the affairs of the country so to say, which we have seen how it looks like with Puntland demanding some sort of veto power and trying to steer foreign policy of the greater parts, as example of how this shared sovereignty in the context of the Somalia might look like.

Awdal elders made wise decisions 30 years ago, that have made Awdal the most peaceful region in the Somali peninsula. The disarmament of militias in Somaliland is one of the most bravest and wisest decisions one has made. Don’t throw away the baby with the bathwater.

Madness continues, why the hell would AS be welcomed when SSC won the battle for their region and wouldn’t they straight go to Sanaag instead of making a pitstop in Las Anod. Seems more like the old tactics professed by Puntland, trying to smear every group that defeats them with the terrorist card and solicit for military project support and funds.

Gamechanger, markii hore ina khaldaneed oo ka toobad keentay wa ku sax santahay. Marnaba danta tolka kumee jirin ina la diriro beelaha dariska, iminkana waxa dantu ugu jirtaa ina heshiis nabadeed la galaan. Gobolada Bari aad ba u maray, xaaladoona iminkana wee kasii xuntahay dhaqaale ahaan oo abaaro sameeyeen, wa ina dib loo fikiro oo wax loo daraaso. Waxa dantu ku jirta Bariga oo nabada, oo dib loo biloowo isku socodka, iyo Kala ganacsiga oo markaas dhaqaalaha kor u kaco. Siyasiintii khaladaad waaweyn ayee sameeyeen, oo mee eegin dantii umada. Xisbiga Kulmiye 13 sano wadanka maamuliyay, oo seeskiisa lagusoo dhisay Caynaba wexe eheed inu ka dhigo Caynaba, Elafweyn, Oog, Garadag centreka (bartamaha) dhaqalaha Somaliland, oo ka shaqeeyo sida xiriirka, nabada, isku socodka ganacsiga uu la leeyhay SSC, Puntland ila Galmudug, Hiiraan lasii adkeeyo oo deegaan kaasi noqdo bartama dhaqalaha, meesha maanta ee noqotay darifyda colaada. Maanta hadaa eegtid inta gadiid, ganacsi iyo dad u kala socda Hargeysa-Gebiley-Borama-Wajale-Jig Jiga-Zeila-Jabuuti, ee tirada ka badan. Wexe eheed Inta in ka badan iney Burco-Caynabo-Oog-Las Anod-Garowe-Adado-Dhusamareeb-Galkacyo-Beletweyn u kala socdaan. Oo Caynaba noqoto sida Gebiley oo kale, oo dhan kasta looga socdo oo isku xidha, la ganacsada oo waxba dhaafin, mashruuc kasta ka mid ah. Meesha wax si ka noqdeen ma garaniyo, ma fahmi karo caqligii meesha lagu xawilay. Iyo caqliga yiri aanu ka dhigno deegaankeeni mid coladeed. Caqliga yiri Jabuuti wa la ganacsan karnaa, laakinse Puntland lama ganacsan karno. Caqliga yidhi dariska galbeedka (Jabuuti iyo JigJiga) wa walaleheen, laakinse dariska bari (Garowe, Galkacyo) wa cadoow. Oo degaankii barina ka dhigay front dagaal, xad coladeed ma fahmi karo. Ileyn Jabuuti, Ethiopia, midna kuma aqoonsana, labada Somalia u aqoonsan Somaliland iney ka mid tahay oo isku socodka iyo ganacsi xor u yahay op sida wajaale iyo jabuuti visa lagu weydiineyn. Bal waxa ku weydiiyay adiga oo isticmaaliya caqligaga saliimka, xagee ku jirtaa dantada, danta tolkaaga iyo danta Somaliland? Iyo yee eheed oo dantana ku jirtaa ina la heshiisid oo la sameysid nabad, oo isku dan tihiin. Bal Inta ka jawaab.

It kinda shows how lucky he has been to have been given all that unchecked power. Imagine if he would have used it for the positive, how much he could have achieved.

One of the reasonable voices, but unfortunately some are trying to silence him and harass him to keep him silent knowingly that he speaks the truth.

Indeed, the ball is with Hargeisa and he should focus on building consensus there, therefor I was surprised he was addressing the Garaads instead of the own constituency or SL leadership. It seems there is some guilt there. There were also some who said that he opposed and undermined the Khaatuma agreement Siilanyo entered with Ali Khaliif aun, and didn’t see it as opportunity to expand peace in the east but made other wicked political calculations. Perhaps why he is feeling guilt today, but still he is barking on the wrong tree. best way is to correct your own mistakes by the right actions. And his actions and priority should be addressing the own constituency to reconsider supporting disastrous politics, and building consensus there. Following the footsteps and line of thinking of Buurmadoow perhaps.

Thanks MMA, definitely culture should not be left to clan states, but sought to be promoted on an over arching national level without talents being limited by ‘state’, ‘clan’ borders. That’s what I take from this discussion.

It’s called group therapy, it’s quite healthy actually to process things and find ways to connect with reality . Waryara, tolkeyga ha ku xad gudbina waxbaa ba na heysta oo la yaab nagu abuuray, buuqan arkisiina wexe ka mid tahay sida isku daweyno. Ha hadlaan, ha doodaan, laabta ha sii dayaan, cafimaad waaye camal. Hadii la aamusi lahaa ayaa aniga warwar Iga gali lahaa.

SSC controls properly more land than Jubbaland, Galmudug, Hir-Shabelle, and should get whatever those States are getting. On the second point, as long as a conflicts have not been settled through a formal settlement marking the end of the underlying issue of contention, it will keep lingering on passively, and thus distrust and mistrust will remain even if it’s decades after the active fighting, and will undermines any discussion on commons and governance. This is not just some western concept, it’s also how our ancestors usefull to resolve things under the tree.

Indeed, war’s and conflicts can only be ended through negotiated peace determining a new balance. But Somali conflicts cool down while they continue to simmer below the surface. Even if there isn’t active fighting it doesn’t mean the conflict has ended, there needs to be a formal conflict resolution and settlement, even if it was for the purpose to signal to people a reset and make them aware on the formal peace and give things a place. I think this also historically how Somali’s use to settle conflicts eventually ending through a formal settlement and reset of issues and relations under a tree. Garta Geed ba lala tagaa.